The first two liquefaction trains arrived today at the Calcasieu Pass liquefied natural gas export project in Louisiana, project developer Venture Global said.

According to a release, the delivery of the 600,000 tonnes per annum trains from the assembly and fabrication site is less than 15 months after the project's final investment decision, representing a step change in LNG construction.

The two midscale, modular liquefaction trains and mixed refrigerant compressor skids were shipped to Louisiana from Baker Hughes’s manufacturing facility in Avenza, Italy more than two months ahead of the contractual delivery date.

"Baker Hughes has a long heritage of LNG innovation. We have paired our LNG technology with leading execution, testing, sensing and monitoring capabilities to increase project efficiency and productivity, while reducing risks and total costs," a Baker Hughes spokesperson said, adding that the company's turnkey process reduces installation time and costs by up to 30%

Each train, delivered complete and ready to install, was successfully unloaded, transported onto the Calcasieu Pass site and positioned on its foundations in less than a day.

The first and second of the project’s 18 identical trains will now be connected to their respective Chart brazed aluminum heat exchangers, or cold boxes, eight of which are already installed on site.

Venture Global chief executive Mike Sabel said:

“Venture Global LNG is proud to demonstrate continued execution of the strategy we pioneered. Our factory-fabricated, modular liquefaction trains enable us to deliver the fastest construction schedule in the LNG industry while driving dramatic risk reductions across the entire project. We look forward to the successful delivery of Calcasieu Pass trains 3 through 18 and then 36 identical trains for Plaquemines LNG.”

Executive co-chairman Bob Pender added:

“The completion and delivery of our first two liquefaction modules demonstrates the first-class execution and collaboration inherent in our long-term relationship with Baker Hughes. Despite the effects of Covid-19 and multiple Gulf Coast hurricanes, we will now begin installing these trains ahead of the contracted schedule. This is a leap forward in LNG infrastructure development.”

LNG

First trains arrive at Venture Global Calcasieu Pass LNG facility